Kitchen-cabinet



H. W. BERTRAM.

KITCHEN CABINET. I

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l0, 10:6.

Patent d June 3,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

17 v 7 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

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H. W. BERTBAM.

KJTCHEN CABINET. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10. I9I8.

Patented June 3, 1919.

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IN VENTOR. Henry M fizseremv TWA Nwems PETERS cm. FHOYD-LITHQ. wumwrou, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATELN'I OFFICE.

HENRY W. BERTRAM, OF FRANKFORT, INDIANA.

KITCHEN-CABINET.

Application filed September 10, 1918.

1 b all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY WV. BERTRAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Frankfort, county of Clinton, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Kitchen-Cabinet; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to improve kitchen cabinets-and the like in the mounting and operation of a flexible door therefor, whereby the flexible door, when opened, will be wholly out of sight and out of the way.

At the present time, so far as I am aware, said flexible door in kitchen cabinets descends into the chamber adapted to receive the same, excepting the upper railing on the flexible door, which is made widerthan the slot through which the flexible door descends. Therefore the upper railing of the flexible door always remains in sight, and since the slot is in the table top upon which flour, soda, meal, sugar and the like are handled in the cabinet, said material enters the slot through the crack on each side of the upper railing on the door when in its open position and thus the slot becomes filthy, full of flour and the like, and such structures are always unsightly.

The chief feature of the present invention is to permit the flexible door entirely to enter the chamber below the shelf, when the door is opened, and to close the front part of said chamber and entirely hide and obscure the flexible door by pivoted molding, the upper edge of which. is held by a spring tightly against the front edge of the shelf, so there is no chance for flour or the like entering the chamber in which the flexible door is inclosed. Thus the flexible door, entirely out of the way and out of sight, makes a very neat appearance and does not interfere in any way with the use of the cabinet. The full nature of this invention will be more fully understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description of the claims. I

I In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective front view of a kitchen cabinet equipped with said invention, and with the flexible door closed. Fig. 2 is a perspective front view of a portion of the cabinet with the flexible door opened. Fig. 3 is a. front ele- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Serial No. 253,414.

vation of the lower right hand corner of the compartment being closed and the chamber below with molding removed and on a large scale, and parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the lower part of the right hand end of what is shown in Fig. 3 with the molding in place supporting the flexible door and parts shown by the dotted line. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 on a large scale. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a similar section with the molding in open position and the flexible door in its lower and stored position.

There is shown herein, the common type of kitchen cabinet, having the usual compartment 10 into which the lower end of flour bin 11 extends, and having a small shelf on the rear wall, the shelf 12 of this compartment being used for mixing flour, baking powder, corn meal, sugar and. the like, and for holding any bowls or other dishes for use in cooking. It is directly behind the working table 18, and therefore side swinging doors of the usual type to the compartment 10 are unsatisfactory, because they swing open over the table 13 and interfere with the work that must be done on said table. Consequently a flexible door 15 has been adapted for closing the compartment 10, so that when it is opened it will not interfere at all with the operations on the shelf 12 or table 13.

The flexible door 15 is made in the usual way that roll tops for desks are made and its edges operate through suitable guide grooves 16, in the side walls 17 of the cabinet.

Since there is a compartment above the compartment 10, closed by doors 18, the flexible 'door 15 is made to descend, when it is being opened, and therefore, when closed, in structures of the kind'heretofore made, it has been held in its upward position by fasteners engaging the under side of the shelf, but this is diflicult in construction and operation, and often the housewife may have considerable trouble in holding the flexible door 15 in closed position. This difficulty, in the present invention, is overcome by providing a pivoted molding 20, at the front edge :of the shelf 12 in position to support the lower edge of the flexible door 15, and hold it throughout its entire length in its upward closed position. Therefore, there will never be any difliculty in supporting the flexible door when closed or danger of it dropping down by reason of deficient fastening at the upper edge to the shelf 18. The molding 20 is pivoted at each end near its lower edge by pin 21, which projects into a plate 22, secured to the inner side surface of end 17 of the cabinet. The molding in cross section is substantially semi-circular with the curved surface there of projecting upwardly as shown in Fig. 6 and so formed at its forward edge, when the molding is in closed position, that it will project and engage the forward edge of the shelf 12 in a longitudinal recess 23, and just under a forwardly projecting lip 24 at the forward edge of shelf 12. The molding is held closed tightly by a spring 25, which may be coiled about One of the pivot pins 21, with one end secured to the pivot on the door and the other end to the fixed plate 22 or a spring may be arranged any way which may suggest itself to an ordinary person as a means for closing an'dholding closed said molding. This makes a joint between the molding and the shclf12, which prevents any flour or the like going down in the space behind the molding and in the chamber 26, in which the flexible door is stored, when in its open position. The molding 20 is opened by pulling on the knob 27 The chamber 26 is located immediately below the shelf 12 and the grooves 16 in the side wall of the cabinet, for the flexible door, extend in the said chamber, being horizontally disposed at the end of said chamber and therefore curving from the vertical to the horizontal position just behind the molding 20.

hen the flexible door is in said recess, its forward edge projects forwardly and upwardly somewhat, so that it can be grasped by the fingers when the molding is opened, there being ample space for the fingers be tween the flexible door and the shelf 12 and between the door and the molding for grasping the door. The door is closed by graspingits forward edge and lifting it in its elevated position, and when it reaches its closed position the lower edge of the flexible door will permit the" molding to close under. the action of the spring 25, and move in under the flexible door, so as to support it in such closed position. When it is'desired to open the flexible door all that is necessary to do is to take hold of the knob 27 and open the molding 20, so that it ceases to support the flexible door and then the flexible door will descend by gravity into the chamber 26. and under the shelf 12 and upon release of the molding it will close again under the action of the spring 25.

It-may be deemed preferable by many for the molding 20 to be held open or locked while the flexible door is being handled for elevating it in. its closed position..- This is effected by alatch 30 fulcrumed between its ends at 31 to one of the end walls 17 of the cabinet, and, having a lateral projecting pin 32 at its lower end adapted to engage the hole 33 in a plate 34, rigidly secured to the pin 21, so as to oscillate with the molding 20. A spring 35 mounted on the plate 22 engages the upper end of the latch 30, so as to hold it in looking position. The upper end of the latch has an inward projection 36 beveled on both its lower and upward edges, and the lug 37 is secured to the lower part of the flexible door in such position that when the flexible door is being elevated to its closing position the lug will engage the beveled lower surface of the projection 36 of the latch and unlock it and thus permit the molding to close under the action of the spring 25 and move in under the lower edge of the flexible door to support it in its closed position.

The purpose of the bevel upper edge of the projection 36 of the latch is to enable the lug 37 to release said latch in the downward movement of the flexible door, if the latch should happen to look when the molding was pulled open. from under the flexible door to allow it to descend. If the molding is not pulled fully open the latch will not hold the hole in plate 34: and there-fore will not be in locking position, but if the molding be opened widely then the latch will be in looking position and would catch the lug 37 on the flexible door and stop its downward movement unless said lug, by engag ing said bevel edge, pushed the latch out of,

the way.

The side 17 of the cabinet is provided with a recess 38 for the mounting of said latch and said recess is deep enough to permit the latch to be pushed outward beyond the inner edge of the wall of the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 3, but when the latch is in looking position the projection 36 will pro ject under the inner surface of the wall 17 of the cabinet so as to be engaged by the lug 37 This invention is not necessarily limited to the particular piece of furniture shown, or the closing of the particular compartment in a kitchen cabinet as shown. The foregoing drawings and explanations are given for the purpose of explaining the nature and operation of the invention, regardless of the particular piece of furniture or the location of the invention therein.

The invention claimed is 1. A cabinet having a substantially vertically disposed compartment with side Walls having upwardly extending grooves therein, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves and movable upwardly to closing position and downwardly while being opened, meansmovably mounted in connec tionwith the cabinet in position. to support the flexible door when said door is elevated and hide the flexible door when said door is down in opened position and releasable means for locking the door supporting means in open position.

2. A cabinet having a substantially vertically disposed compartment with side Walls having upwardly extending grooves therein, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves and movable upwardly to closing position and downwardly while being opened, a chamber below said compartment, having grooves in the end walls thereof which are continuations of the above mentioned grooves, into which chamber said flexible door moves when closed, a molding movably mounted in connection with the cabinet in position to support the flexible door when said door is elevated and hide the flexible door when said door is down in opened position and means for locking the molding in open position when the door is being moved to open or closed position.

3. A cabinet with a compartment having substantially vetical walls and a shelf below said compartment and grooves in the side walls, which extend in front of and below said shelf, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves so as to move upwardly to closing position and downwardly below said shelf to open position, means movable in connection with said shelf for supporting the door in elevated position and for hiding it when it is in its lowered position, releasable means for holding the door supporting means open, and means carried by the door for operating the releasable holding means.

A. A cabinet with a compartment having substantially vertical walls and a shelf below said compartment and grooves in the side walls, which extend in front of and below said shelf, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves so as to move upwardly to closing position and downwardly below said shelf to open position, molding mounted in connection with said cabinet so as to be movable against and away from the forward edge of said shelf in position to support the flexible door when elevated and to hide it when lowered and releasable means for locking the molding in open position.

5. A cabinet with a compartment having substantially vertical walls and a shelf below said compartment and grooves in the side walls which extend in front of and below said shelf, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves so as to move upwardly to closing position and downwardly below said shelf to opened position, a molding pivoted to said cabinet so that the upper edge will engage the front edge of the shelf and support the door in its upward position, and a spring tending to move and hold said molding against said shelf, the forward edge of said shelf having an overhanging lip, under which the molding lies when it engages said shelf.

6. A cabinet with a compartment having substantially vertical walls and a shelf below said compartment and grooves in the side walls which extend in front of and below said shelf, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves so as to move upwardly to closing position and downwardly below said shelf to open position, a molding pivoted to said cabinet so that its upper edge will engage the front edge of the shelf and support the door in its upper position, and releasable means for locking the molding in open position.

7. A cabinet with a compartment having substantially vertical walls and a shelf below said compartment and grooves in the side walls which extend in front of and below said shelf, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves so as to move upwardly to closing position and downwardly below said shelf to open position, a molding pivoted to said cabinet so that its upper edge will engage the front edge of the shelf and support the door in its upper position, and releasable means for locking the molding in open position when it is at the limit of its forward movement.

8. A cabinet with a compartment having substantially vertical walls and a shelf below said compartment and grooves in the side walls which extend in front of and be low said shelf, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves so as to move upwardly to closing position and downwardly below said shelf to open position, a molding pivoted to said cabinet so that its upper edge will engage the front edge of the shelf and support the door in. its upper position, releasable means for holding the molding in open position, and means carried by the flexible door for releasing said means as the door is moved vertically.

9. A cabinet with a compartment having substantially vertical walls and a shelf below said compartment and grooves in the side walls which extend in front of and below said shelf, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves so as to move upwardly to closing position and downwardly below said shelf to open position, a molding pivoted to said cabinet so that its upper edge will engage the front edge of the shelf and support the door in its upper position, a spring actuated latch mounted on the side wall of said compartment and adapted to engage and lock the molding when in its open position, and means on the flexible door for engaging and releasing said latch as the door is moved vertically.

10. A cabinet with a compartment having substantially vertical walls and a shelf below said compartment and grooves in the side Walls which extend in front of and below said shelf, a flexible door adapted to fit and operate in said grooves so as to move upwardly to closing position and downwardly below said shelf to open position, a molding pivoted to said cabinet so that its upper edge will engage the front edge of the shelf and support the door in its upper position, a spring actuated latch mounted on the side Wall of said compartment and adapted to engage and lock the molding When in its open position said latch having an inward beveled projection on its upper end, and a bevel lug on the flexible door in position to engage the projection on the latch when the door is moved vertically for releasing the latch.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

HENRY W. BERTRAML Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

